West Nile disease

Description of virus that causes the disease.

• West Nile Virus is a strain of encephalitis
• when a mosquito feeds on a bird that is infected by the virus then bites a human

Viral Specificity:

• it affects the human nervous system
• affects warm blooded mammels
• affects the brain can cause it to swell

Symptoms and progression of the disease:

• symptoms happen after 2 to 8 days
• can cause Headaches
• can cause chills
• can cause fever

Common Methods of Transmission:

• this virus is transmission by being bit by a infected mosquito's
• mosquito's get the virus by biting infected birds
• this virus has killed 115 people in the USA
• in mammels the virus does not spread as fast
• pipelines are the main breading area for infected mosquito's

Treatment and Prevention (if any):

• antiretroviral drug for HIV, has shown promise against West Nile
• Geno Med, a U.S. biotech company, has found that blocking angiotensin II can treat the West Nile virus
• elimination of mosquito breeding sites
• destroying active breeding areas and encouraging personal use of mosquito repellents

Miscellaneous:

Resources accessed:

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